


Thunderstorms (A Solangelo AU)

by piercethecaprisun



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 20:17:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10647300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/piercethecaprisun/pseuds/piercethecaprisun
Summary: Nico is looking for a stranger, and all he has to find him with is an umbrella.The two only ever meet under rain clouds, and perhaps it's the elusiveness of the stranger that makes him so appealing, so much so that it's changing how Nico thinks, changing how he feels.





	1. A yellow umbrella

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is the first fanfiction I have ever written (or at least the first I have published!) It was originally published on wattpad but I'm making the leap over to AO3 so please take care of me!
> 
> This fanfic is all copy and pasted from wattpad so there may be notes no longer applicable but I really want to present it to the AO3 community and honestly cannot even be bothered to make adjustments (sorry!)
> 
> The ages of the characters are a little messed up (purposefully!!) (mostly)
> 
> Anyway, I shall cease my rambling. ENJOY!
> 
> P.s all the Italian is from Google Translate so please correct me if it is incorrect!!

"Good morning New York, it's going to be a hot one today so remember to stay hydrated. Temperatures will be reaching as high as 29°C before noon but lowering to 23°C in the evening. It will be overcast for much of the morning, and there is possibility of a thunderstorm so be prepared for heavy rainfall this evening."

The incessant buzz of the alarm roused Nico from his sleep.  
"Wake up sleepy head, I'm making waffles!" A voice sang from the kitchen.  
He rolled onto his back and took in a deep breath through his nose before slamming his hand against his alarm clock. With great effort he pried his heavy eyelids apart and blinked the haze of sleep away. A crack in the curtain let in a shard of warm white light, illuminating the dancing dust particles in the air. 

"Nico get in here now, I've got to get to work and your waffles will go cold!"  
He sighed and heaved himself out of bed, sauntering in to the kitchen where Bianca stood in her uniform, plating up the waffles.

"They work you too hard." Nico murmured, pulling up a stool to the breakfast bar. "You shouldn't let them give you so many shifts."

Bianca swept the clutter to the side of the breakfast-bar to make room, bills and letters and grown up things she shouldn't have to handle at her age. 

"On minimum wage too." He shook his head. She sighed and put his plate down in front of him. "Nico it's not like there's a better offer, and someone needs to pay the bills." 

He looked up at his big sister, old before her time. "You don't deserve it. You're twenty. You should be, I don't know, going out, getting drunk, making mistakes. Not working over time. This is your youth."

She smiled wistfully. Nico hated when she smiled like this, he could see all hope inside of her had been extinguished. "Well I'll just have to work extra hard to get the money for you to have a life, and I'll live vicariously through you."

Nico sighed, stabbing his waffles, defeated. "They could at least let you have weekends off." He mumbled.  
Bianca reached over the breakfast bar to rustle her little brother's hair. He may be fifteen but he was growing up so fast, like her, and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Bee, it's 7:45." Nico warned.  
"CRAP!" She shovelled the waffle into her mouth desperately as Nico neglected his own and gathered her stuff for her. He set her shoes down by the door as she pulled her wild hair back into a ponytail, and packed her lunch into her bag as she slipped her shoes on. She gave him one fleeting kiss on the forehead. "Arrivederci, amore mio."

"Ciao." Nico sighed as the door clanged shut. He dragged his feet back over to the breakfast bar, the only table they had in their tiny apartment, and slumped into his stool, nibbling the now-cold waffles half heartedly. He tore off a scrap of paper from one of the many documents on the table and scribbled his to do list.

To do:  
• Food shopping  
• Laundry and cleaning the house  
• Pick up Bee's textbooks  
• Walk Mrs. Jackson's dogs

He clicked the pen and placed it on the counter, taking his and Bianca's dishes to the sink and washing up. 

Nico volunteered to do the chores to help Bianca out, so all she would have to do when she got home from her long shifts was bathe, eat and sleep. He also did a few jobs here and there, like dog walking, so they would have some extra money. He knew that Bianca would be opposed to him having jobs so he would discreetly slip the money into her purse without her knowing.

By noon the house was tidy, and the heat was sweltering. The windows were flung open and the curtains drawn, licking the air like tongues every time a breeze caught them. The constant noise of New York, car horns and nonsensical chatter and sirens and phones, drifted up through the windows. It was comforting white noise to the city boy. Nico had pinned his hair back with Bianca's hairpins, and was lounging in front of the electronic fan they had had for years, desperate to cool down. A thin sheen of sweat coated his body and dampened the hairs that were too long to clip back, causing them to cling uncomfortably to his forehead. Despite how nice the cool air from the fan was, Nico's conscience nagged at him to continue his chores. 

He plunged himself under a cold shower to wash away the sweat and the heat, then flung his wardrobe doors open and cursed himself for only owning black. He settled for a grey tshirt and unfortunate black skinny jeans because he was not about to showcase his weirdly thin, pale legs by wearing shorts. He grabbed his phone, a crappy little Nokia, and shoved it into his jean pocket, taking a little bit of money from the jar for food shopping.

It was a short walk to Mrs. Jackson's apartment on the upper east side, but felt like a stroll through tartarus in the heat. 

"Who is it?" A familiar voice buzzed through the intercom when Nico reached the apartment building.  
"Nico." He smiled, even though she couldn't see him.  
"Ohh, come right up Nico, Mrs O'Leary is so excited for her walk."

Mrs O'Leary, the Great Dane, was easily as tall as Nico when she stood on her hind legs, and was quite capable of knocking him to the floor if she chose to. When introducing Nico to her, Mrs. Jackson had joked she was a 'hellhound,' and Nico could see why. Yet, despite her threatening looks, she had a big heart, something Mrs. Jackson said Nico and Mrs O'Leary have in common. 

"You didn't see Percy on your way up did you? I sent him to the shop for some milk 45 minutes ago and he still isn't back." Nico shook his head, petting Mrs O'Leary nonchalantly. What he wasn't letting on was how his heart soared at the mere mention of Percy's name. In fact, the only reason Nico would be brave enough to walk a Great Dane was because it was Percy's Great Dane. 

"Wow, are you sure you didn't accidentally buy a horse? You could ride this thing." Is what Nico had exclaimed when he saw Mrs O'Leary for the first time, to which Percy had chuckled. 

Nico mentally cursed himself for being obsessed with that boy.  
"Oh, speak of the devil." Mrs. Jackson announced. "It took you long enou- Annabeth! I didn't know your were coming over." In that one sentence Nico's heart began soaring, and then crashed and burned.

"Well she wasn't, but I met her on the way back. Oh, hey Neeks." Nico's throat closed up, and all he could do was helplessly stare at the eighteen year old. "Hot enough?"

"Uh-wha-wh-what, what?" Nico stuttered, heart hammering. Percy flashed him a humorous smile.  
"In black jeans? In this heat?" He teased. Nico's cheeks turned crimson, and he distracted himself by petting Mrs O'Leary.

"Hey Nico." Annabeth greeted with a smile. He smiled back at her, because despite everything, Annabeth was a nice girl and Nico just couldn't bring himself to hate her for dating the boy Nico had a crush on.

"Well, Mrs. Jackson, I best take Mrs O'Leary for her walk before she gets impatient." Mrs O'Leary barked to testify. 

"You can call me Sally, Nico. Here is her leash, here are the doggy bags." She handed them over and Nico accepted that, clipping the leash to Mrs O'Leary's collar.  
"Ok, goodbye Sally, Annabeth. Bye Percy." 

When walking Mrs O'Leary, it was incorrect to say that you were walking her. She was definitely walking you. Nico had completely no control as the giant dog navigated her way through the bustling streets of New York to the park they usually go to.

She befriended a tiny chihuahua who was probably a tenth of the size of Mrs O'Leary, and Nico let her off the leash so she could gallop around the park. 

"Is she yours?" The chihuahua's owner asked.  
"No, I'm walking her for my friend." Nico smiled at the girl. He wasn't attracted to her, but he could tell she was pretty.

"I bet she's an absolute terror to try and control."  
"You got that right." Nico grinned, watched the giant puppy frolick. "But she has the biggest heart, so it's worth it."

The girl smiled warmly. Nico frowned and looked into the distance. "There's a storm coming." He murmured.  
"Excuse me?" The girl laughed.  
"Oh, no, I mean there is a literal storm coming. See that dark cloud?" He pointed to a huge black cloud looming threateningly over the city.  
"Wow. It's going to be a big one."  
"It sure is. Well I better get Mrs O back to her family." He whistled loudly. "Mrs O'Leary, here girl." The dog bounded over to him obediently, and swiped her tongue up his jaw as he attached her leash. "Eww, Mrs O, I don't know where that tongue has been." The Great Dane just panted happily, tail thumping heavily against Nico's thigh. 

"Let's get you back ho-OH!" He was cut off by Mrs O'Leary lurching forward and dragging Nico behind her. "Goodbye chihuahua girl!" Nico called.  
"Goodbye!" 

They stopped on the way him for Mrs O'Leary to relieve her bowel, Nico turning his back to give her some privacy, then reluctantly using the doggy bag to pick up the waste and hastily put it in a designated bin.

"Did she behave well?" Sally asked upon Nico's return.  
"Good as gold, as usual." He smiled patting the dog's head gently. "She's the best dog I've ever walked, despite her size."

"Thank you so much." Sally smiled, handing Nico a twenty dollar bill.  
"Woah, Mrs- Sally, I was only gone an hour and she really is no trouble at all so I don't need-"

"An hour and a half actually, and you deserve it. She's always lovely and settled after walks with you." She smiled. "Now, would you like to stay for a cup of tea?"

Nico smiled, his heart constricting a little. He would give anything for a mum like Sally. "I really would love to, unfortunately I have some errands to run." 

Sally frowned, concerned. "You are always busy, don't your parents take care of all of that?"  
Nico bit his lip. "Well, see, it's just me and my sister, and she works a lot for my benefit, so I take care of the chores and the shopping so she doesn't overwork."

Sally's expression shifted to compassion. "Is that why you walk dogs?" Nico nodded.

"But don't worry Sally, I'm very happy with my sister and I don't mind doing chores and having jobs if it means I can support her. And please, don't take pity on me, because I didn't mean for that at all, so the usual amount you give me is just fine, it really is. Thank you for inviting me for tea, you really are very kind, and I must be off now."

She sighed and nodded, smiling. "Ok, don't let me keep you. And Nico? You should be proud of yourself. Very proud."

Nico broke out into a smile as he waved goodbye and closed the Jackson's door. 

His smile faded as soon as the door clicked shut, and he leaned against it, the cool wood pressed against his back. Proud? Proud of what? He was just his sister's burden, and until he could get a proper job, he was basically useless. He rubbed his eyes and blinked hard, before walking away, deflated. 

Not only did his sister work two jobs, but she was also a student, and Nico's biggest inspiration. She had ordered two psychology text books to arrive in store, and after picking them up, Nico made his way to the supermarket.  
He browsed the aisles, choosing items carefully, considering special offers and low prices. He bought the essentials, milk, bread, toilet paper, etcetera, then visited the fruit and veg shop because it always had nicer, fresher items for a cheaper price. He finally stopped by the ice cream parlour and bought an ice lolly he couldn't resist in the sweltering heat. 

He had finished the ice lolly and was making his way back home with his shopping bags when the sky darkened. I might be able to make it if I'm quick, he thought. However, just as he began to speed up his pace, the first droplets fell from the sky, gently thudding onto Nico's warm skin. Then suddenly, the sky opened up and the downpour began.

Thick, cold droplets hurtled from the clouds on to passersby and their umbrellas. Slim pools of water formed on the floor, soaking in to Nico's shoes as he ran for shelter. He ducked under a doorway, his grey shirt darkened in patches from the rain. The shopping bags were growing heavy, and he didn't know how long this rain was going to last. That's when he saw it, the first streak of lightning, accompanied by a clap of thunder. He jumped from fright as the roar cut through the air, and the lightning lit up the darkened street for a fraction of a second. He began to shiver lightly, the breeze catching the moisture in his skin. 

As Nico watched silently at the tiny bullets pelleting the floor, something caught his eye. A bright yellow umbrella, stark against the dull grey the world was painted, and the boy beneath it. Nico realised with a start that the boy was making his way over to Nico. The dark haired boy pressed himself against the wall to make room as the light haired boy closed his umbrella and stood next to him. 

"It's pretty when it rains." The boy murmured, and Nico looked at him, confused. The boy turned to him and looked him up and down. "You don't have an umbrella, do you?" He asked, though the answer was quite clear.  
Nico shook his head.

"Will you hold this for me please?" The boy asked, holding out the umbrella. Nico was about to say his hands were full, but he decided against it and took the umbrella. The boy smiled, and another flash of lightning illuminated his face, turning his blond hair icy white and his skin pale. Then, so suddenly that Nico could barely keep up with his movements, the boy ran out into the rain, leaving Nico with his umbrella. Nico stood, confused, watching the boy disappear into the crowd of pedestrians. 

"What are you doing? You left your umbrella! Che idiota." Nico yelled after him, but the boy was gone. Nico looked down at the bright yellow umbrella. "Ma grazie, straniero."


	2. Chapter 2

"A yellow umbrella? Very bright, and not at all Nico." Reyna teased, taking the umbrella from Nico's bag.  
Nico scowled and snatched the umbrella back. "It's not mine." He stuffed it into his bag as Reyna gave him an inquisitive look. He hesitated and looked down at the floor. "A..boy gave it to me, during the thunderstorm last week."

"Oooh, a boy." Reyna teased, wiggling her eyebrows. "What did he look like? Was he your type?"  
"My type?"

"You know, dark hair, green eyes, name rhymes with Mercy Clackson." Nico hit her shoulder playfully.  
"Oh yeah? And what about your type, dark hair, blue eyes, name rhymes with Galia Face?" Reyna punched Nico's shoulder, twice as hard, then grinned as Nico cupped it and whined.

"Seriously now, what was his name?" She asked, but Nico shook his head and shrugged.   
"I didn't ask it. He was there and gone in seconds- there was no time. But I remember what he looks like. Tall, blonde, blue eyes, tanned, freckles."  
"So the complete opposite of Percy." Reyna observed.

"Percy isn't my type, I don't have a type! And anyway, I don't like, have a thing for this boy or anything, I just want to return his umbrella." He defended.

"Hey Neeks, Reyna." A bubbly voice greeted, the voice of Nico's half-sister, Hazel, accompanied by Frank Zhang. "What's happening?"  
"Nico is carrying around a yellow umbrella in the hopes that he can return it to the boy who gave it to him." Reyna grinned, ruffling his hair. "Isn't he a cutie?"

"Aw, Nico, that's so adorable." Hazel cooed, putting an arm around her brother, who brushed the two girls off and grumbled "I am not cute or adorable."

"Anyway, are you coming to Percy's party?" Hazel asked, taking a seat and slurping the remains of her juice box.  
The dark haired boy looked down glumly. "He's having a party? He hasn't invited me."

Hazel slowly pulled away from her juice box, chewing her bottom lip lightly. "Neeks, I'm sorry, I didn't know." She shifted her eyes to Frank pleadingly, who, after a few seconds of misunderstood eye contact, coughed.  
"Um, if it's any consolation, I wasn't invited either, so." He offered, holding the back of his neck.

Nico flashed him a half-hearted smile. "Thanks for trying."  
It was Reyna's turn to console him. And Reyna's methods were a little... unorthodox. 

She punched him in the arm.

"Quit moping around! You think I got my social status from pining over boys nonstop?!" She questioned. Reyna was an army cadet, and one of the best in her squad, a natural leader.

"Actually Reyna you like girls-" Nico attempted but was cut off by his strong willed best friend.  
"The answer is no! Nico you are not a tween girl, you are a strong, fifteen year old boy, and you don't need Percy's attention to give you confidence!" 

Hazel began hooting and clapping, and Nico couldn't contain his smile. Somehow Reyna just always knew what he needed.

The school bell cut through the highschool chatter like a knife, sharp and piercing. Nico internally groaned, for his next lesson was the dreaded calculus. (A/n I would just like to note that I am English so if I get anything wrong about American high schools then pls don't sue) 

"Ah, Nico! I've been looking for you!" Nico turned to see his crush pushing through the bustling high school corridor to get to him. 

"Oh, Percy." Nico greeted calmy, despite his insides.  
Percy smiled. "I know that it isn't your last year or anything, but I'm having a party next week to celebrate our graduation, and I thought that you might like to come. I know it's not your scene or anything but you're always welcome, you know?"

Happiness swelled in Nico like a balloon. Percy hadn't neglected him!  
"Of course I'll come." I'd do anything for you.  
"Fantastic, well I'll give you the details later, but Mr. Chiron awaits. Later, Neeks!" Nico watched as Percy disappeared into the crowds, barely containing his utter bliss.

•.*☆*.•

"He didn't not invite me!" Nico announced, slamming his binder onto the table. "He just hadn't seen me to invite me." He smiled, smugly. School had just finished, and they were at their usual meeting point; the park.  
Reyna groaned. "Just when I thought we might have a chance of you getting over him."

"Getting over who?" Thalia questioned, a mouth full of ice cream. She was distractedly scraping the häagen-dazs out of it's container with a plastic spoon she had stolen from the cafeteria. 

"Percy." Reyna answered, steering Thalia's spoonful of ice cream towards herself and taking it into her mouth. Thalia's jaw dropped in betrayal. "Reyna." 

"Want it back?" Reyna teased, her mouth open, the ice cream melting on her tongue visible to all. Thalia's cheeks heated up a little. "Reyna that's disgusting." She giggled.

"Get a room you two." Nico fake-groaned, but secretly it made him smile seeing Reyna so happy around Thalia.   
"Mm, Nico." Reyna said, swallowing the ice cream. "Are you coming round to mine tonight?"

"Ah I can't, Bianca gets home early today so I have to make sure everything's tidy. But Thalia will, won't you Thalia?" Damn, Nico was such a great wingman.

"Hey, we can finally have that Supernatural marathon we've been talking about." Thalia suggested, wiggling her eyebrows.

"You know it's humanly impossible to watch all ten seasons in an evening."   
Reyna threw her arm over Thalia's shoulders. "And you underestimate our abilities!"

Nico threw his hands up in mock-surrender. "Ok, you crazy kids have fun. I, on the other hand, have chores."

"Bye!" They waved as they parted, walking separate ways. Reyna still discreetly had her arm around Thalia, and Nico shook his head and grinned, watching the two girls.

It was still hot in New York City, but not as sweltering as the week prior. Nico enjoyed his walk along the streets. He passed Percy's apartment and watched hopefully, eager to get a glimpse of the boy. No such luck.   
He walked past a windowsill, on which sat a small black cat. 

"Hey kitty." He greeted, stopping to tickle under it's chin. "She's a good girl." He smiled, the cat purring appreciatively. In the glass behind the cat however, he caught a glimpse of a shock of blonde hair and a familiar looking figure.   
"Ah!" He exclaimed, twisting around and looking across the street, just as the blonde head disappeared up the street Nico had just come from. 

Tyres screeched as he ran across the road, followed by car horns and yelling. He just apologetically put his hand up to them and continued walking. He was pushed back a little by the bombardment of people walking his direction, but continued on, squeezing through partings in the crowd. He turned the corner and stood on the Ballard his feet, peering over the pedestrians' heads. He could just about see that blonde hair, and the mere sight spurred him onwards. 

"Watch it, kid." A commuter grunted as Nico accidentally shouldered him. The slim boy let out a string of apologies as he made his way through the crowd, until he came to a junction. His heart sank as he looked either way; he could see no sign of the blonde boy.  
"Damnit." He cursed, turning around and making his way back home, clutching the yellow umbrella he had taken from his bag.

•.*☆*.•

"Sono a casa." Bianca announced as she stepped through the apartment door, locking it and dropping her keys in the bowl by the entrance.

"Ben tornato." Nico smiled, hearing his sister's voice. "I'm making mum's spaghetti." He turned to his sister, stirring the pot. He froze when he saw her red eyes, dropping the spoon and wiping his hands off on the apron he was wearing. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

She looked down. "I failed. My psychology paper, I got a D." She sniffled and wiped her eyes.  
"But- but that's not fair, because you don't have the time to study, and you're always working and-"

"Shh, fratellino." She gave him a sad smile. "It's not my final paper, I can pick my grades back up."  
Nico shook his head and mentally kicked himself. "This is my fault! If I had have just cooked the meals and cleaned the house more you would've-"

"Hey hey hey hey, sshh." She took his face in her hands and looked into his teary eyes. "Never say that. You do more than enough. You are the greatest help, I couldn't ask for anymore. Don't ever blame yourself."

"Then it's dad's fault."  
"Hey, no, don't blame anyone, it's no one's fault. It's the gods' fault, because they made it so, for a purpose." She murmured, wiping his tears away.

"You know I don't believe-"  
"Doesn't mean they're not real." She smiled. "I- I've noticed. The money you have been putting in my purse."

"Oh." Nico looked away, waiting for her to give him a speech about how she didn't want his youth to be taken away like hers. But non came. Instead, she hugged him to her chest.

"Grazie. Grazie de tutti, fratellino." She murmured, stroking his hair. "If it consoles you, you can continue with your jobs, but under one condition. You have to still have a life that means going out with friends at least once a week. Okay?"

"Okay." He breathed, closing his eyes.  
"Now, let's finish the spaghetti, hey?" They broke apart and she kissed his forehead. In so many ways she reminded Nico of his mother; the soft Italian accent, gentle touch yet strong hugs, the firm, determined look in her eye. But that fire that used to burn in her, visible in her eyes, was beginning to dissipate. Nico wished he could wipe away Bianca's years just as she had wiped away his tears, and the greatest injustice was that it was impossible.


	3. Thanks Apollo

"And we cuddled as well. I mean, I don't know if I'm reading into it too much but to me that ist a sign of-" Reyna was rambling on Skype about her evening with Thalia to an amused Nico, who happily listened to her childlike twitter.

"Okay okay, I get it 'you're so in love, she obviously likes you, you actually have a chance.'" He teased, feigning boredom. "How much of Supernatural did you actually watch?"

She averted her eyes. "Well, actually, only the first season." She admitted.  
"Oh I see, so after all of your bravado it turns out that I definitely wasn't underestimating you, am I correct?" He grinned.

"Just wait until tomorrow, I'm gonna punch you so hard." She threatened, pointing at him threateningly. But her threat was broken up by a yawn. "I'm tired so, goodnight."

Nico pouted. "I'm not tired."  
"What about Bee? Are we not disturbing her?" Reyna asked. Nico smiled. He loved that Reyna's concern for his sister was genuine.   
"No, she's up late studying." 

Reyna yawned again and stretched her limbs out like a cat. "You should make her some tea or something. Tell her not to stay up too late. Goodnight, Neeks."  
She smiled sleepily before the screen went dark and the call finished, leaving the Skype homescreen up on Nico's laptop. He sighed and closed it, sliding the tattered old thing under his bed.

With effort he opened the stiff window and perched on his windowsill. He had a desire to climb out onto the fire escape that wrapped around his building, but the rush of traffic and the danger of falling from a fatal height held him back. Instead, he looked out across the skyline, listening intently to the sound of the streets, and thought. He thought about Bianca, and about Percy, but mostly he thought about the blonde haired boy who had donated his umbrella.

•.*☆*.•

The first rays of sunshine filtered in through Nico's window, casting a golden glow over his room. Nico sat up abruptly, woken by the intense light. He usually kept his curtains drawn, an seeing his room illuminated made him feel like the god Apollo has blessed the dark haired boy himself. 

It was early. Too early. Bee was still asleep in the room next to Nico's, and he decided he would let her sleep in a little bit. He adjusted her alarm clock and set about doing what Bianca usually did every morning. He went through the apartment and opened every window, before going back to the sink, which had a lovely view of a brick wall through the window opposite.

He cleaned the dishes, and then the clutter on the breakfast bar, before making a start on breakfast. Despite their little income, it was very important to Bianca that Nico always had a large breakfast, as he used to have an eating disorder and became painfully thin. 

He put the bread in the toaster and began frying the eggs and the bacon. The aroma of the food hung over the apartment as he plated up the food, just in time to hear Bianca's alarm ringing. He heard a groan and mumbling, before Bianca came rushing into the room, her hair tied up haphazardly in a bun and hanging over her face. 

"Crap I've slept in, what happened to my-" She paused as her eyes made their way around the room, before landing on Nico, who was perched on a stool and attacking his bacon. 

Bee's eyes teared up and she blinked them away desperately, before pulling Nico into a suffocating hug. "You little minx. You did everything! I'm going to do the laundry this evening, then."

Nico shook his head. "It's a teacher training day for me, so I have all day to do the laundry. Bianca pulled away, slumping into the stool beside Nico and digging in to her breakfast.

"Are you going to be okay home alone all day? There's going to be a thunderstorms, so if there's a powercut the landline won't work." She asked, despite knowing that even if Nico said he wouldn't be fine, there was little she could do.

Nico perked up at the news of a thunderstorm. "Don't worry, I have a cellphone, so if I need you I'll be fine." His eyes shifted to the yellow umbrella in the corner of the room, a plan forming in his mind. 

"Alright, I trust you. You know Mrs. Davidson across the hall will help if you need it." She rose from the stool, breakfast finished, and kissed his forehead. 

•.*☆*.•

The sky was darkening rapidly, and excitement bubbled inside Nico. In fact, he was to distracted to even scold himself for being excited to see this boy. 

It was stupid, the boy might not even show up; it might have been a one time thing. But something felt sort of right today, the beautiful sunrise Nico had witnessed this morning, the impending storm. It was like a sign from the gods. (A/n Apollo is the best wingman (Unfortunately Icarus wasn't such a good wing man :/ ))

As the sky got as dark as it could go, Nico closed all of the windows and locked up, grabbing the yellow umbrella and making his way down(town, walking fast) the stairs two at a time.

The streets were lined with people holding sleek black umbrellas, and Nico suddenly felt self conscious of his fluorescent yellow one, but their was no turning back; Nico feared he might miss him. The first droplets of rain plummeting from the sky, and as if in synchrony, the pedestrians opened up their umbrellas at the same time. 

People where silhouetted as the lightening arced across the grey sky, followed by angry thunder that bounced off of the towering buildings either side of the street.

Gripping the umbrella tightly, Nico set off into the street, taking the route he had met the boy upon. It was the weirdest thing, walking down the street with a bright yellow umbrella; everyone passing Nico smiled at the Ray of colour in a sea of darkness. 

This must be why blondey bought the umbrella, Nico thought to himself, and his chest swelled at the thought of the boy purely happy because he made everyone smile.

He had been out for half an hour, and the rain was still coming down hard. His socks were damp from the rain soaking into his shoes, and his jeans were splattered with droplets from passing cars. 

He sighed, deflating like a balloon. This was pointless, he knew it was. And yet, despite his dissolving hope, a little ray of sunshine filtered through the clouds, down the street, before disappearing again. Nico sucked in a breath, thinking of how impossible it would be, but maybe..

And then, he caught sight of an umbrella, sky blue adorned with tiny white clouds. He couldn't see the person beneath it, but he knew.

He quickened his pace, eyes glued on the arc of the umbrella. He accidentally stepped in a deep puddle, his shoes soaking up the water, but he continued on nonetheless. 

Nico was so close, unbelievably close, and the umbrella disappeared down a street, Nico in pursuit. As soon as he turned the corner, he collided with someone else, someone who smelled like clean linen and rain drops.

"Woah, careful." The person said, hands flying out to steady Nico. The boy let his eyes drift up the the stranger's face, his jaw falling slack at the sight of the person before him. 

"It is you." The blonde boy smirked. "I saw you following me a few streets back."

"Yeah, well you're the only person in this entire city with stupid umbrellas like that, so I knew it was you." Nico grumbled. The blonde boy laughed, retracting his hands from Nico's shoulders.

"It's so weird, there are thousands of people in New York and we happened across each other twice." The boy murmured, looking up at his umbrella.

"Call it fate and I'll hit you." He said, causing the blonde to laugh, which in turn made Nico smile.

"Where you.. looking for me?" The boy asked, raising his eyebrows in a condescending manner. Nico's cheeks heated up, but he narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, of course, I went outside in a thunderstorm and got my shoes soaked just so I could find you." He scowled, folding his arms, yet the blonde boy just found it endearing.

"Well I was looking for you." The boy shrugged, looking away nonchalantly. However he didn't miss Nico perk up a little bit, his scowl softening and his folded arms coming slack.  
"You were?" He asked, sounding hopeful.

The blondey nodded. "Mhmm, so I could get my umbrella back." He grinned devilishly, warranting a deeper scowl and a light smack on the arm from the angsty little dark haired boy. "What part of the city are you headed to?"

"Ah, the Upper East Side." Nico replied. (This is me trying to be geographical, wish me luck)

"Oh, I'm from Queens, I'll walk you." The boy smiled, but Nico gave him a confused look. 

"Queens is in the opposite direction to my apartment." The blonde boy shrugged, still smiling. "Come one, it will be fun, I love Manhattan."

The two boys walked side by side, a spectacle of bright umbrellas. The rain was easing up finally, and the thunder and lightning had ceased long ago. A slightly awkward silence fell over the two, or maybe it was only awkward to Nico, for the older boy walked along happily. 

They came across a wide but shallow puddle, one everyone was going out of their way to walk around, and Nico tried to dodge it as well. He probably would have done, had the blondey not ran straight through it, kicking water up at Nico as he passed, manically laughing. 

Nico stood, gaping at his soaked jeans for a few moments, before counter attacking. He jumped into the puddle, sacrificing himself to make the blonde boy wet. 

"Enough, enough!" The older boy pleading, laughing, as he gripped Nico's T-shirt. "Gods, you made me really wet."

Nico's eyes flickered up to his to check if the innuendo was intentional, and seeing the taller boy's confirming smirk, proceeded to kick water at his legs once more. "You're disgusting." He giggled.

"Oh, that's my place." Nico, straightened up, nodding to one of the complexes down the street. The blondey pursed his lips, almost as if he was measuring up the distance.

"Just as I thought. We might as well run it." He decided, causing Nico to laugh and shake his head.

"What sort of stupid logic is that?" He was caught off guard when the boy took Nico's wrist and set of, his heavy footsteps sending water droplets upwards, and tugged Nico along abruptly. 

They ran to the apartment building, Nico cursing and laughing and trying to tug his wrist free, yelling things like "I don't run, ever!" and "people are staring!" while the other boy laughed it off.

Nico doubled over, wheezing, when they finally got to the apartment complex, the umbrella doing little to help the tiny flecks of rain splatter over his back. "I'm never...running...again...  
ohmygods."

The blonde boy laughed, panting only slightly. "Well, as fun as it was, I should probably get back."  
Nico straightened up, heart sinking. "Yeah?" The blonde nodded.

"See you later, maybe." The boy smiled, patting Nico's shoulder, before turning. "Hey, wait, what's your name?" Nico questioned, and the boy turned to him. 

"Will Solace. And yours?"  
"Nico. Di Angelo." Nico introduced and the boy smiled.   
"'Til next time, Di Angelo." Will smiled, then turned and walked away. Nico watched him fade into the crowd, a single dot of blue, before realising he hadn't returned the umbrella.


	4. All Hail Queen Bianca

"Oh? Someone's in a good mood." Bianca observed, slipping her shoes off and pulling her hair out of her tight ponytail. Nico shrugged, a ridiculous smile still plastered on his face, and truth be told, he kind of loathed himself for it.

"I'm making risotto and I've accidentally made too much so I hope you're hungry." He took two plates out and placed them on the breakfast bar, before taking the pan from the stove and spooning substantial portions onto the dishes.

"Are you kidding? I'm always hungry." Bianca joked, taking a seat and eyeing the risotto greedily. "You know Neeks, I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you. I'd probably just live off of crackers."

Nico rolled his eyes, handing her a spoon and digging in himself. "You cook food too."

"I cook because I need to feed you proper meals." She sighed at the first bite of risotto and nodded her head, eyes closed. "I knew it. You are the best chef. Nico's smile grew impossibly wider.

"Anyway, why such a good mood?" She inquired, wiggling her thick eyebrows. "Anything I should know?"

Nico stuck his chin out. "Can't a man be happy for no reason?"

Bianca shrugged. "Of course, a man can be happy for no reason, but not an angsty little teen like you." She teased, gasping when Nico used his spoon to catapult some rice into her hair. 

"Nico!" She yelped, but the boy merely grinned evilly. "I'll call Hazel over and let her lecture you!"

Nico fake sighed, admitted defeat, and turning his attention back to his risotto. "So anyway, Reyna said a certain someone's hosting a party you forgot to tell me about." Bianca probed.

"Oh, yeah." Nico frowned. His thoughts had been so preoccupied by a particular blonde haired boy that he had forgotten about the party. Somehow, he'd even forgotten about Percy.

Bianca looked confused. "What's wrong? I thought that party was what had rocket-launched you to cloud nine."

Nico shrugged. "Parties...aren't really my thing. I'm just going because it's Percy's. But I don't even really want to go anymore." He shuffled the risotto around on his plate, parting it like the Red Sea, then mashing it back together.

Bee smiled at her little brother, the person in her life she loved more than anything. "Hm, I think that you should go anyway. Because it might be fun. It might not be fun. But you won't know until you go."

"Schrödinger's cat?" Nico asked, his smile returning.

"Indeed, Schrödinger's cat. Though I hate how they put a cat in there, I wish they'd have done it with a dog." She scowled, scooping more risotto into her mouth.  
Nico rolled his eyes. "Ugh, cat-people." 

"Don't lie, you adore Small Bob." Bianca grinned as Nico smiled and shovelled the last spoonful of risotto into his mouth. 

"Yes, but only Small Bob." He rose from his seat and took his plate to the sink, rinsing it clean, drying it and then put it back in the cupboard. "Anyway, Reyna and I have a Skype date planned so if you don't mind..."

Bianca brushed him off with a haphazard wave of her hand. "You're excused, go Skype her." Nico smiled before rushing into his room, closing his door, and pulling out his tattered old laptop. 

"Guess what?" Nico asked excitedly, as soon as the Skype call connected. Reyna, who's face had looked bored, immediately perked up at Nico's excitement.

"What? Tell me!" She sat up, pulling her laptop closer into her lap and adjusting the screen.

"Do you remember when I told you about the boy who gave me his umbrella?" Reyna's eyes widened as she gasped and nodded her head vigorously. "Well I saw him again today."

Reyna squealed. "What is his name? Is he as nice as he was during that storm? Are you getting married-"

Nico cut her off with a laugh, but blushed despite his faux confidence. "He's called Will Solace."

The dark haired girl's jaw dropped. "That's the perfect name!"

"Oh come on, his name could've been Lester Papadupoulos (ayy ToA) and you'd say it was perfect." He rolled his eyes as Reyna shook her head.

"No but Solace, it just fits doesn't it? You were in the rain, in the cold, and he came and gave you his umbrella." She sighed. "I'm jealous."

"Hm, how's Thalia doing?" Nico asked, changing the subject discreetly. It worked, because Reyna immediately began talking.

"Well actually today Jason was joking around and he said that it was weird how Thalia has never had a crush on any guys, and then she punched him and then winked at me! What do you think this means?!" Nico giggled at her. 

"It's pretty obvious isn't it? I think that you should just ask her out already." Reyna just scoffed and folded her arms.

"Come on, I'm about as close to asking her out as you are to asking Percy out. Which might never happen now Solace is around." She smirked.

"But there's a difference between you and I; you actually have a chance. My love is doomed." He joked, even though the thought hurt. Reyna pressed her lips into a line, immediately seeing through Nico's joke. She was like that; she had big sister powers, and could sense when Nico was in pain.

"I know it would just be so much easier if everyone you liked liked you back. So Percy isn't right for you, he's only your first crush; there'll be so many more. And besides, I think this Will guy likes you, y'know. Hey, tell me all about what happened today." She smiled, coaxing Nico's mind to forget his sadness, and his smile returned. He gave Reyna the run through: the chasing, the bumping into one another, the puddle fight, Will insisting on walking him to his door. By the end of it, Reyna's eyes were shining.

"Marry him. Do it. Marry this one."

Nico rolled his eyes just as Bee opened his door and poked her head through. "I wanted to say hi to my favourite before I go to bed."

Nico twisted the laptop to face Bianca and she waved at Reyna happily. "Hiya Ra-Ra." 

Reyna scowled. "That's tasteless." Bianca covered her mouth with her hand, but the two girls began laughing anyway. 

"Goodnight you two, keep the noise to a minimum please; I need my beauty sleep." She framed her face with her hands and Nico took the opportunity to shoot her an insult.

"Looks like you haven't been getting any recently." He teased and Bianca dropped her jaw, before marching into his room and flicking his ear. She then gave him a big kiss on his cheek, in front of Reyna, and glided back out of his room to bed. 

Nico couldn't help but smile; they'd sort of grown out of their sibling mannerisms, and he missed the teasing and the arguing. 

"Wait- did you at least get his number?" Reyna asked, returning to their conversation from earlier. 

Nico shook his head and Reyna exclaimed "pendejo!" A mild Spanish phrase meaning 'idiot.' "How are you going to meet him again?"

"I still have the umbrella. And he knows where I live." He shrugged. "I guess I didn't think about that."

Reyna facepalmed, dragging her hand down and pulling her features in exasperation. "How are you going to marry him if you never see him again?"

Nico shrugged. "Where there's a Will there's a way." 

•.*☆*.•

It was Wednesday lunchtime, and everyone had congregated around a dinner table to talk about Percy's party.

"Do you know that if we were in England we could drink alcohol?!" Leo exclaimed and Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Correction: we could all drink, Leo is still a baby." She teased and Percy laughed, sliding his arm over her shoulders.

"Thalia, Hazel and Reyna can't either. Don't be sad, Leo." Jason comforted his bro, patting him on the back. 

"Hey, is Silena coming?" Piper asked, earning a nod from Percy. "And Clarisse. And Grover. Basically everyone from camp."  
(A/n just to save me hassle everyone else from camp is alive and either 16-18 years old ok :))

"Will Sally be there?" Hazel asked, and everyone nodded and turned to Percy. Everyone loved Sally Jackson; she was probably the best mum in the world, and since so many of Percy's friends didn't have mums or at least not ones they could depend on, everyone looked to Sally to be their parent figure. 

"Unfortunately not; her and Paul are going out and they're dropping Tyson off at my dad's place." Everyone sulked immediately.

"That's so weird, like if any other mum was going to come to a party it would be lame as hell, but with Sally it's different." Jason observed. 

"That's because Sally is the best." Annabeth concluded, earning a chorus of 'agreed' from the group. 

Nico loved Sally, he really did, but no matter how fantastic she was, he knew she would never compare to his own mother, and definitely never to Bianca. 

"Hey, could Bianca come?" Thalia asked, turning to Nico. This grabbed everyone else's attention, and they all turned to look at the dark haired boy. He subconsciously shrunk back into Reyna's side and and shook his head.

"She needs to study, so she wouldn't be able to come if she wanted to. I fell bad about it, though, so I might just have to bail-" he was interrupted by Reyna punching his arm and he looked up at her.

"Absolutely not. You know the last thing Bee wants is for you to give up your social life for her sake." She gave him a warm smile. "And anyway, she's got her holiday coming up soon, so we'll just have to find an excuse to throw another party."

"Why not throw a party just for Bianca?" Thalia suggested, and everybody cheered. "That settles it, then."   
Nico felt a smile spread across his face, and a warmth in his chest, because no one deserved to be celebrated as much as Bianca.

Thalia scooted over to Reyna and tugged on her sleeve a little, and Nico could see from Reyna's face she could have exploded from cuteness.  
(Man I am Theyna af I might just make this story about these two)

"Will you come with me to hand this form in?" She asked, and Reyna nodded straight away. "Bye guys." They waved as they walked away, leaving Nico at the table with the rest of the group. Jason took this opportunity to slide along the bench to Nico's side, and Hazel did the same on the opposite. 

The group had broken up into different conversations: Percy and Jason were discussing what would be a better super power: the ability to breath underwater or the ability to fly. For some reason Piper was blushing furiously and repeatedly hitting Leo while he laughed maniacally, Calypso shaking her head at his side. Hazel and Frank were just all around being a cute couple, and Annabeth was staring at Nico. Wait.

Nico blushed as his gaze met Annabeth's and she smiled. There'd been a misunderstanding between the two before; Annabeth had thought Nico liked her, forcing him to come out to her in explanation. Now he was out to everyone, except maybe Percy, because he hadn't come out to him personally but he had told other people that if Percy were to find out he wouldn't be upset.

Other than that, he really did like Annabeth; she was a good person, and obviously he wouldn't blame her for falling for Percy, because he did too.


End file.
